Oh, I hope some day I'll make it out of here,
Even if it takes all night or a hundred years.
Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near.
Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fears.
"You ready for lunch?" Angelina asked as she pulled on her jumper.
"Ready," I responded and stood from the vanity while putting in my earring.
"Great. Fred and George said they would meet us in the Great Hall with a surprise," Angelina linked her arm with mine as we left the dorm, "Excited that this tournament is almost over?"
I sighed, "You have no idea."
"I'm sure I would be the same way if George was in the tournament."
"Yeah, maybe..." I muttered before changing the subject, "What do you think Fred and George's surprise is?"
I wasn't trying to be rude, but I really didn't want to think or talk about the tournament. I've been struggling with this unbearable fear lingering over me today. It shook me to my core, and I've been trying to ignore it all day, but no matter how many times I pushed it down, it would still resurface and press against my ribcage like a monster trying to claw its way out.
I've got to pull together. Cedric doesn't need to see me this way again, especially not on the last day of the competition. I have to be brave for him. Poor thing, he was already terrified enough for both of us.
"I don't know," Angie shrugged, "but Ron was really excited when he came to fetch them and Ginny."
As we entered The Great Hall, she was laughing at a hilarious joke I made when, all of a sudden, she stopped in her tracks. Our linked elbows pulled me back as her eyes went wide, "Is that..."
I furrowed my brows and followed her line of sight to the Gryffindor table. Fred and George were grinning from ear to ear while talking to some very familiar faces: Molly, Arthur, and Bill. When the twins saw us, they raised slightly from their seats and waved us over to the table.
"Their parents!" I beamed, "And that's Bill. Their oldest brother," I informed Angelina as I turned to her. The nervous sheen in her eyes reminded me that she had never actually visited The Burrow, which meant...My lips parted amusedly, "Oh my gosh. You never met their family, have you?"
"Shut it," She hissed at me and then looked at them again. Her voice cracked as she stated her fear, "What if they don't like me?"
I giggled a little. I've never seen Angelina anxious over anything. Of the two of us, she was always the calmer one. It was a nice shift in our dynamic, even if it was just for a bit.
"Don't be silly!" I smiled encouragingly at her, "They're going to love you, Angie! Ron and Ginny already do! And I swear they are the nicest people you'll ever meet. Come on," I lowered my hand to grab hers and hurried towards the table. She probably would have never moved away from the entrance if I didn't. Ol' Georgie would've had to come all the way over here to pick her up and carry her to his family.
I noticed that Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron were also there when we approached everyone.
"Hello, Mr and Mrs Weasley," I greeted them merrily.
Molly Weasley rose from her seat first, "Oh, Charlotte, it's so good to see you!"
She gave me the warmest smile and a hug to match.
"It's great to see you guys, too," I hugged her back.
As Mrs Weasley pulled away from the hug, her hands lowered to mine. She held them outward from my body as her gaze shifted to my stomach, "Oh, thank goodness," She sighed in relief to herself.
My face twisted with confusion, "What?"
"Oh—nothing, Dear. It's just that..." She stammered, " Well, I read that article about you and Cedric, and we—I thought...but you're not. So, everything's fine."
My eyes bulged almost entirely from my skull as I blanched. The redness from the embarrassment rapidly replaced my sudden drainage of colour. She had to be referring to the article where Rita told all her readers that I was pregnant with Cedric's baby. What else could it have been?
My head shook frantically, "Oh no, no, Mrs. Weasley! That never happened! I was never—It was a lie!"
George burst into laughter as the occupants at the table stifled their own behind their cups and some heavy lip-biting. Fred, however, spluttered his beverage.
"Mum!" He protested through choking coughs, "We told you Rita has been lying in all her articles."
As his throat finally cleared, Fred gave her a look that practically screamed, 'I can't believe you just said that!'
George, still fighting with his guffaws, wiped a tear from his eye, "Don't worry, Lettie. She also thought Hermione over here actually broke wittle Hawwy's heart," He cooed with baby talk and a hand over his chest, pinching Harry's cheek.
Then he cracked up again and doubled over, almost nearly lying on the table. He was finding himself way too funny right now.
"That's enough, George," Mr Weasley admonished his son while pulling his lips into a thin line. With crossed arms, his head tilted low, attempting to hide his own snickers.
George's laughter finally stopped when he cleared his throat and stood up next to Angie. His postured straightened as he puffed his chest proudly and gestured towards her, "Mum, Dad, Bill, this is my girlfriend, Angelina."
"So, this is the girl you've been writing to me about," Bill gave her a friendly grin.
"It's so lovely to finally meet you, Angie Dear. I suspect I'll be knitting an extra sweater next Christmas," Mrs Weasley chimed cheerfully.
Grateful the attention was finally on someone else, I slid down next to Fred and hid my face in my hands. I just wanted to keep going until I disappeared completely, "That was brutal."
Fred chuckled and patted my shoulder, "You should have seen your face. So worth it."
Harry leaned over the table and whispered, "If you think that was bad, wait until Cedric's parents get here."
I drugged my hands down my face and glared at him through my parted fingers, "Trust me, we've already had that talk with them. His mom even sent him a howler!" Then his words actually registered with me, "Wait, Cedric's parents are here too?"
Harry nodded, "All the Champions' families are here. Cedric wanted me to tell you he'll join you after showing his parents around the castle. Don't know why they insisted on it. It's not like anything has changed. That dad of his is a real piece of work. Good luck with that one."
I giggled lightly, "I think I'll manage."
After catching up with everyone, I leaned over to Fred and whispered, "Is your brother staring at Fleur?"
Fred took a bite of his chicken and started talking before he even finished chewing, "I tried to talk to Ron about that, but at this point, he's just a creep."
I rolled my eyes and nudged him in the side.
"Ow!" He held his ribcage, "What was that for?"
"I wasn't talking about Ron," I murmured, "I was talking about Bill."
He looked at the Oldest Weasley sibling. Sure enough, Bill and Fleur were sneaking glances at each other from across the tables.
"Funny," Fred smirked at me while chewing his food. This time he swallowed before speaking, "Kind of reminds me of you and Cedric that day at lunch."
His eyes shifted past me before tilting his chin, "Speaking of Pretty Puff."
I turned towards the entrance of The Great Hall and saw Cedric scanning the crowd while standing with his parents.
When his eyes finally landed on me, he flashed those pearly whites as his lips pulled back into a bright smile. I bit my lip to hide my ridiculously huge grin and excused myself from the table. As much as I wanted to spend time with the Weasleys, they all understood that once Cedric and his parents got here that I would like to go sit and talk with them as well.
I picked up my pace. The closer I got, the faster my feet seemed to carry me, reaching the speed of a light jog once I was only a few steps away.
Cedric opened his arms for me to throw myself into them and chuckled as I did so, "Hello, Love."
His grip on me was so tight that he momentarily lifted me off my feet.
"Hey, baby," I replied into his neck before my feet reconnected with floor.
Cedric's gaze lingered on mine. His flittering eyes were so loving and genuine as they flickered to my lips. My breath hitched at their gleam as my hands still rested on his shoulders. Had it not been for his parents, I'm sure he would have kissed me right then and there.
His parents! I almost forgot. Pulling myself from his grasp around my waist, I shuffled past Cedric to greet them.
"Hello, Mr and Mrs Diggory!" I grinned and held out my arms.
His mother excitedly accepted the embrace as she stepped forward to hug me, "It's wonderful to see you again, Charlotte!"
"I trust you've been cheering our boy on, and not Mr Potter," Mr Diggory added when it was his turn for a hug.
He didn't ask about my mum this time.
Interesting.
Before I could answer, Cedric spoke up, "Dad, Harry is her friend. And I told you two not to be reading The Daily Prophet."
"We don't anymore, Honey," Mrs Diggory replied, "but it would have just been nice if when they mentioned you, it would have been about your progress in the tournament and not something so...," Her eyes downcast to my lower stomach, "scandalous."
Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I swallowed hard as my posture stiffened. My hand instinctively covered my stomach, and when Cedric noticed this, he put his hand on the small of my back to help me relax. Undoubtedly feeling just as uncomfortable by this topic as I was.
"I don't know; they're only a couple years away from the age you and I were when we had him. I think having a few little grandchildren running around would be nice," Mr Diggory puffed proudly.
My mouth gaped, and Cedric cleared his throat, "Oh look, there's an empty spot over there."
He pointed at the Hufflepuff table before taking my hand and quickly leading me toward the empty seats. My squeeze on his hand tightened as I toddled behind him, both of us in a rush to escape this conversation.
"Really, Amos?" Mrs Diggory groaned.
"Mum. Dad. Can you not?" Cedric turned to them. His voice was both stern and respectful at the same time, "This conversation is highly inappropriate, and this is the last place we should be having it."
"Sorry, Son." Amos responded.
"Sorry," Mrs Diggory repeated.
The rest of the conversation was easy. We all just laughed and joked around while eating lunch. I don't know if it was because his parents were here, but Cedric seemed more light-hearted than he had been in the last few weeks. It was invigorating to see him in such high spirits again.
I couldn't help but smile whenever I glanced at him talking to his parents. I wanted to soak in every detail. It felt like we were in slow motion every time he threw his head back to laugh. His eyes would crinkle, and the apples of his cheeks would lift. Whenever his head would lower again, his teeth would tug at his bottom lip to suppress the rest of his chuckles.
When he caught me admiring him, his grin didn't falter. Instead, it grew bigger and brighter as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and tugged me closer to kiss my temple.
----
The day continued, and the sun was now setting. Cedric and I had our fingers intertwined as we walked towards the Quidditch Pitch with his parents.
Harry and the Weasleys followed behind us.
"I'll see you in there?" I asked Fred as he passed.
"I'll save you a seat," Fred answered.
Before he walked away, he and Cedric made eye contact. After only a few seconds, they nodded as if acknowledging some unspoken agreement between them.
When Fred walked away, I turned to Cedric, "What was that?"
"Oh, it's nothing," he replied before turning to his parents, "May I have a second alone with Charlotte?"
"Of course, Dear," Mrs Diggory smiled at him, "Come along, Amos."
She took her husband by the arm to lead him to the Quidditch Pitch.
"I'll meet you inside, Son." Mr Diggory told him before walking off with his wife.
Cedric turned back to me and laced his other hand in mine, "I can't wait to see your face when I come out of the maze with the cup," His breath was shaky. I could tell he was still nervous and trying to hype himself up.
I squeezed his hands and smiled encouragingly, "You won't have to wait much longer. It's almost over, and soon you'll be a Triwizard Champion."
Still distracted by the heavy, sinister atmosphere, a weak grin flickered on Cedric's lips as his eyes lowered to the necklace he had given me at the World Cup. His gaze glazed over, and I just knew we were both remembering the night we proclaimed our love for each other.
His fingers delicately lifted the snitch pendant. He turned it over to read his initials on the back of it.
"Promise me you'll run into my arms again when I get out?" He murmured.
My lips pursed to the side, "I'll try, but your dad might beat me to it," I teased, trying to lift his spirits.
Cedric chuckled and cupped my face with his hands before kissing my forehead. His eyes remained closed as he pressed his own forehead against mine, "You're honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me, Charlotte Hodges."
I held his wrists as my eyes fluttered shut. Sighing contently, I asked, "Have I told you yet that I can't wait to marry you?"
He pulled back with the most loving smile I'd ever seen, "Actually, I think that's the first time you said that."
I smiled back at him and hummed, "Hmmm, then I'll have to say it more often when you get back."
"I'm looking forward to it," He chuckled, "It sounds amazing coming from you."
Cedric bit his lip nervously, "I'll see you soon, Love."
"I'll see you see soon, Ced," I told him.
He grinned at me one more time. His fingers laced in my hair on the back of my head before he pulled me into a kiss.
I kissed him back, wishing it could last forever. All I wanted to do was take him by the hand, run back to the tower, and hide until the competition was over, but I knew we couldn't. We may still be young, but it really felt like I could marry this boy one day. I couldn't imagine loving anyone more than I love Cedric.
As if thinking the same thing, Cedric hesitantly pulled away from the kiss and returned his forehead to mine.
"I love you," He whispered.
The ache behind my chest strengthened and felt like a creaking door. My throat became tight, and I could feel tears seeping past my lashes, but I held them back, "I love you too."
With a glossed-over gaze, he started to back away towards the champions' tent. I did the same towards the entrance to the stands, but he never let go of my hand. Not until his was forced to slowly slide out of mine as the distance between us became too great. His fingers lingered in mine until the very last meter. I felt the last bit of his fingertips before they finally fell to his side.
He sighed and hung his head low as he turned to finish his walk to the tent. As I watched him walk away, a shiver went down my spine. I crossed my arms over my chest to steady my shaking as the cold fear returned to wash over me, causing my tears to finally fall.
I sniffled and quickly wiped them away as I walked towards the stands' entrance. If my friends saw me like this, surely they'd ask questions. Questions I really don't feel like answering at the moment.
Once inside, I looked over my shoulder to search for them within the sea of people. Fred and George were two of the tallest people there, so it was easy to spot them.
"There she is!" Angelina pointed to me.
Fred grinned when he saw me ascending the stairs. He scooched over to make space between him and Angelina, knowing I would want to sit between them.
"How's Cedric?" He questioned genuinely as I took my spot next to him.
"He's fine, just really nervous," I answered shakily.
"How are you?" Angelina asked.
"I'm okay...except I feel like I'm about to have a heart attack."
This was true because it felt like my heart was pounding against my chest, threatening to explode at any moment.
George leaned across Angie to pat my knee, "Don't worry, Lettie. Everything's going to be fine."
"Here they come," Angelina pointed to the pitch and started to cheer with the crowd as the trumpets and horns blew loudly.
Amos Diggory ran onto the field first and held an arm towards Cedric, who came out from under the stands. I clapped hard along with everyone else, making sure to scream as loud as possible.
Cedric spotted me in the crowd. He was beaming as he waved and blew me a kiss. I giggled and pretended to catch it before blowing one back to him.
While clapping, Fred chuckled and rolled his eyes, "You two...I swear."
He then scrunched up his face as his hand went to the side of his head. One of his eyes shut tightly as he rubbed circles on his ear., "I think you ruptured my ear drum."
"Oh, shove off," I responded with an actual, playful shove.
Soon, the rest of the contestants were out on the field along with Karkaroff, Madam Maxime, Madeye-Moody, and Dumbledore.
Amos's arm never left Cedric's shoulder as Dumbledore addressed the crowd.
"Silence!" His voice boomed over the applause, "Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the Triwizard cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now as Mr Diggory,"
The Hufflepuff section erupted as they stood to cheer, and I joined them.
Proud of his son, Amos raised Cedric's arm in the air, making Cedric visibly uncomfortable. He looked over his shoulder as he pulled their arms back down.
"And Mr Potter," Then the Gryffindors in the stand stood up to cheer as Dumbledore continued, "Are tied for first position; they will be the first to enter the maze,
followed by Mr Krum!" Dumbledore paused for the Durmstrang students,
"And Miss Delacour!"
Then the Beauxbaton students cheered, and I couldn't help but notice Bill Weasley clapping along with them.
"First person to touch the cup...will be the winner!"
The crowd roared again, and Dumbledore explained that if the contestants wanted to withdraw from the task, they only had to use their wands to send red sparks into the air.
"Contestants gather round...quickly!" Dumbledore instructed and turned to face them.
They huddled in a circle as the headmaster talked with them.
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and Angelina could sense my nerves. She laced her fingers into mine and held my hand tightly. I smiled at her, a silent thank you, immensely grateful to have friends like her, Fred, and George.
Dumbledore pulled away from the group and shouted, "Champions, prepare yourselves!"
The other contestants walked back over to their professors, and Cedric back to his father.
Amos and Cedric hugged each other. You couldn't hear what they were saying, but when Cedric pulled away from his dad, I could make out him telling Amos, "See you later, Dad."
Cedric looked at me and smiled as he waved goodbye one last time before the start of the task. I smiled and waved back before he turned towards the maze. He and Harry nodded at each other as they walked to its entrance.
"On the count of three...One..."
Before he could finish counting, Filch set off the cannon prematurely, singling the beginning of the task. The band started to play again, and just a few seconds later, Cedric and Harry disappeared into the maze as my heart disappeared into my stomach.
----
Fred's P.O.V.
"Where do you think they are?" Charlotte asked me while her leg bounced rapidly.
"I'm sure they're okay, Lettie," I answered, trying to calm her down.
"Tell that to Fleur and Krum," She retorted, but not in a rude way. It was apparent she was very on edge, and for good reason.
It had been hours since the contestants entered the maze. The only thing to happen so far was that Fleur and Krum had to be pulled from the task, but the professors didn't tell us why. I could sense Charlotte growing more tense by the minute as she started to twirl her necklace in between her fingers.
"Those were probably just incidents," Angelina added.
Leaning forward, Charlotte rubbed her face and groaned, "I think I'm gonna be sick."
I had no doubt in my mind this was true. There colour of her usual complexion was lighter, and her lips parted as she exhaled slowly to steady her nausea.
"How about I see if Mum has anything that can help?"
She pulled her face from her hands, resting her cheek comfortably in them. With glazed eyes, she gave me a weak but appreciative smile and nodded.
I stood up from my seat and walked down the stands to where my mum sat with the rest of my family.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, I lowered myself to whisper, "Hey, Mum?"
She looked at me, "Yes, Sweetie?"
As soon as I opened my mouth to respond, there was a loud crack and an eruption of applause. I looked up to see Harry and Cedric fall to the ground as they reappeared with the cup.
Other students sprinted towards the ground, and I jumped up quickly to join them. I thrusted my fists in the air as we ran down the aisle and onto the pitch. I just about made it to Harry and Cedric when, suddenly, an ear-piercing scream ripped through the crowd.
Once I saw it, my heart slammed against my chest, knocking the wind out. I froze, my feet suddenly feeling heavy as if weighing me to the ground. My stomach flipped, causing my throat to tighten so it didn't expel its contents.
Harry laid there crying...
over Cedric's body...his body.
Cedric is dead.
The crowd was slowly realised this too. With a jolt to the heart, I turned on my heel to look at Charlotte.
She, Angelina, and George were frozen in place. The three were looking down at the scene, trying to make out what was happening. George's hands were barely touching, frozen mid-clap as he inhaled sharply when piecing it together.
"He's back!... He's back! Voldemort's back!" Harry bawled, "Cedric...He asked me to bring his body back! I couldn't leave him, not there!"
I don't know why I wasn't moving; maybe it was the pure shock of everything. But I saw the realisation of what was happening grow in Charlotte's eyes as they bulged behind swelling tears, horror-stricken. She bolted to try and pass other students to escape the stands, her legs taking long strides down a few seats before reaching the steps.
"Charlotte, wait-" George yelled as he passed Angelina to catch up with her.
It was then Cedric's voice from a couple nights ago rang in my mind,
'Promise me that if something happens to me, you will get her out of there.'
Charlotte, already in hysterics, pushed past students as she got closer. I ran to her, instinct quickly taking over. Her chest collided with mine, almost taking us both down when I caught her around the waist.
"Fred, move," She demanded, trying to push me out of the way.
"Charlotte-"
"FRED, LET ME GO!" Her voice cracked when she fought back harder, but I tightened my grip.
Amos's voice could be heard in the crowd, "Let me through!"
"Charlotte, we need to go," I stated, trying to stay calm.
She shook her head, "No. No! I'm not leaving him!"
I knew what I had to do. I just hope she's able to forgive me after this.
"I can't let you do this," I choked, allowing her to push past me just enough that I could get a better grasp around her waist. My arms clung to her so tightly that she was lifted into the air as I stepped backwards.
"NO! Put me down!" She screamed, kicking her feet in the air. Her nails dug deep into my skin, scratching past my sweater sleeves as she tried to pry my arms apart, "Please, Fred! Please, don't do this!"
"That's my son!" Amos yelled, falling to his knees and sobbing over Cedric's body, "That's my boy!"
McGonagall grabbed me by the shoulder, "Get Ms Hodges to the hospital wing," She instructed hurriedly before rushing over to Dumbledore and Harry.
It wasn't until George made it to us that I finally let Charlotte down so he could grab hold of one of her arms. He did just that without having to be told and started helping me drag her out of the pitch.
Her messy hair stuck to her cheeks as she thrashed around, trying to yank her arms out of our grips.
"Lettie, you're going to pull your arm out of the socket," George warned her.
"I don't care!" She screamed, "Do you really think that's what I'm worried about right now."
George grunted as he pulled at Charlotte's resistance but opted to keep his mouth shut. I knew he wanted to help, but he didn't know what to say at a time like this. But who does?
We were pulling her up a hill when she yanked so hard that we all fell to the ground. Her head shot towards us, fear in her eyes for just one minuscule second before she scrambled to her feet and started running back towards the stadium.
I took off after, running in full sprint, "Charlotte, you can't go back!"
Her strides were no match for mine. Using my momentum to propel forward, I reached out and clasped my hand around her wrist just as we reached the bottom of the hill. The sudden halt yanked her back as my feet firmly planted into the ground to pull against her own relentless momentum and adrenaline.
"I said let go of me!" She turned and resorted to the last thing her mind knew to do in her panicked state. Her fist came crashing down against my chest, one hit after another. Tears and sweat poured down her dirt-covered face causing streaks to run down her cheeks. She cried, grunted, and whimpered as she furiously beat against my chest.
It broke my heart to see her like this. Absolutely crushed me, but I had to be strong for her. Her whole world was crashing down, and I couldn't let her go through it alone. I wouldn't.
"I have to see him, Fred!" She cried out, still hitting my chest with the side of her fist.
I caught her wrist to stop her and pulled her back into my arms, gripping tight to hold her in place. She could hit me all night, but there was no way I was letting her go. There was no way I would let her see him like...like that.
Lifeless, still, gone.
"No, you don't," My voice cracked, "You don't need to see him, Charlotte...not like that."
Amos's cries filled the air; even from outside the stands, you could hear his wail, "NOOOOOO!"
Charlotte slumped over in my chest, sobbing as her trembling legs gave out from under her. Her fist clenched the fabric of my sweater as she crumbled. I held her closer, balancing as I lowered us to the ground.
I tightened my grip as she curled into the fetal position in my arms. Angelina came out of the stands, probably to come and check on Charlotte, but George ran over to stop her. Knowing that neither of them could be of much help right now.
"Please, Fred?" Charlotte begged, "Please, just let me see him?"
"I can't, Lettie," I shook my head and sniffled. Afraid she'll run away again, my hands locked around my arms. Momentarily forgetting how to breathe, I choked on my words and the lump in my throat, "He wouldn't want you to see him like that, Lettie."
She buried her face in my chest again, gripping my sweater tighter. So tight that her hands shook as the colour drained from her knuckles. I felt her tremble in my arms as she sobbed. Trying to soothe her, I rocked back and forth. Swaying us as steadily as possible, my hand rubbed the back of her head.
I knew it wouldn't help, though. Nothing would. She was completely broken, and there wasn't anything I could do to fix it. If I could take this pain away and experience it for her, I would. Just so she didn't have to.
"He can't be dead!" Charlotte whimpered desperately as she tilted her head to look me in the eyes.
My vision blurred at the sight of her, "I'm so sorry, Lettie..."
I would have given anything to be able to give her the answer she wanted to hear. Whoever was up there could have everything I ever owned if they would just take her suffering away.
Please, take it away!
Give it to me!
Let me be the one to carry it!
Just don't do this to her!
I cradled her face gently in my hands and pushed away the strands of hair stuck to her matted cheeks before pressing my forehead against hers. My lips pressed together to suppress my shaky voice, "I'm so sorry."
"No..." She refused; fear and disbelief resurfaced in her eyes as she shook her head.
"Yes," I sobbed breathlessly. My tears finally fell as I repeated, "Yes."
"No!" She yelled.
I could sense what was coming. Without a second thought, I quickly pulled her back into my chest and wrapped my arms tightly around her shoulders as the last noise I ever wanted to hear from her penetrated the air. My eyes skewered shut as she let out the most blood-curdling, ear-piercing, agonising scream that I had ever heard, "NOOOOO!"
I cradled her head with one hand and kept my other arm firmly around her. My chin rested on top top of her head as I rocked her back and forth. Both of us swaying and crying as her screams filled the air. One right after the other. Every single one she made broke me even more. There was nothing I could do for her. Nothing I could do to stop what was coming.
"I'm so sorry," I choked, "I-it's gonna be okay."
I continued to whisper both of these sentences over-and-over-again through sobs, but I didn't even believe the latter myself.
How could anything be okay after this?